Okay, I failed. I admit it. My goal to get to 170 pounds by May 1, 2007 that I boldly broadcast on this blog, in a fit of euphoria or unbridled optimism on New Year’s Eve 2007, was just too hard to achieve. Or perhaps I just couldn’t concentrate on a diet when I had to write about food constantly! Whatever the reasons, the 173.6 in the photo up top is the closest I am going to get, since I am now gearing up for a long holiday and eating is definitely a major part of the plan. I suppose I could starve myself for 24-48 hours and not drink water and intentionally dehydrate myself the same way Manny Pacquiao does before his pre-fight weigh-in, and that might get me to 170 lbs by midnight of May 1st, but I am not that desperate. From a high of 194 or 195 lbs a couple of years ago, I brought that down to about 185 at the end of 2006, and I wanted to go all the way back down to 170 one more time in my life, before going with the flow… Actually, in the post on December 31, 2007, I specifically state I was targetting 170-175 lbs which I have achieved. But in my poll that ran that week, I laid down the gauntlet at 170 pounds. So in the past 4 months, despite 150+ posts on food and eating, I managed to lose about 12 pounds of fat, actually, maybe 15 pounds of fat, and added some 2-3 pounds of muscle for a net loss on the scale of about 12 pounds. I may never look like Daniel Craig / James Bond in this photo here;

I am, after all, an ectomorph rather than an mesomorph like Mr. Craig. And, I might add, I wasn’t paid $20 million dollars to get my chest in shape with the aid of two full-time trainers and a nutritionist that watched my every move and caloric intake for 4 months straight. But here’s the silver lining, folks…

(Brilliant photo of Marketman emerging from the sea a la Bond was posted for about 20 hours and now removed forever… that was the surprise for today… a fleeting glimpse of MM in shape… Heeheehee. Too bad if you didn’t visit while it was up!) :)

Yup. You got it. Yours truly. Note the definition on the shoulders where there was none before. The lack of “apaw” of skin/fat overflow on the side of the trunks, the 15+ inch arms whose jiggly triceps are gone for now. I may not be letting the paunch all hang out but I am not unnaturally sucking it in either. This shot was taken by one of the hordes of papparazzi that just wouldn’t leave me alone on my recent trip to Palawan, and from about 400 meters away using a super telephoto lens, then sent to me in the mail and I was blackmailed into purchasing the rights to it lest it make it to the cover of Yes!, or People, or Hola Magazine… Hahahaha! I am rolling on the floor in laughter, tears streaming out of my eyes. No, it is not April Fool’s Day, this is the real McCoy! Enjoy it while you can, as I might I turn back into a rotund, middle-aged, James Bond fanatic at midnight… Hahahaha!!!! Actually, the photo is only altered into black and white and given a layering of “watercolor treatment” to mask some of the details that would be unbecoming of a food website. I didn’t want to ruin your appetite entirely. No adobe photoshop magic was done to the actual shape of the body at all. This is the result of 4 months of exercise, and some care in the food intake, with serious lapses along the way. So who cares about 3.6 more pounds, this is the best Marketman has ever felt! And absolutely NOTHING is artificial. No Vicky Belo. No Institut Santre. Just good old suffering and a whole lot of exercise. Have a good summer everyone!! Now if only I could just find those bloody Griogioperla swimming trunks of Bond…

COMMENTS:

Pilar
says:

Who cares about the 3.6 lbs.? Every lbs loss is an achievement for most of us. Hurray for the natural weight loss, the patient wait and for all the holding back when cravings attack! hehehe Have a great summer everyone!

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:02 am

krizteene
says:

Is the long wait over for us, MM?

Even if you didn’t reach 170, I still salute you for knowing what you want, your goal, and doing something to reach it!

You’re still a winner (or a loser – of weight? ^_^ ), and a big one for that matter!

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:04 am

edee
says:

great result MM, i noticed how you’ve slimmed down in you photos from other blogs during the blog awards…..there’s really no substitute for exercise, which i must start myself!
congratulations again MM, you’re an inspiration……

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:12 am

det
says:

MR MM 170 OR 173.6 YOU ARE BIIIGGGG WINNAH!WHAT A BODY HUH!

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:14 am

dhayL
says:

looking gReat!!! good for you, remember it’s the effort that counts! i’m flipping back and forth to your photo and daniel craig’s…after a while i can’t really tell the diffirence between his photo and your’s, i guess “naduleng” na ako, so you can pass on as james bond! :) *sipol*

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:17 am

flip4ever
says:

Hi MM. Look at it this way…if you had hit 170; you probably would have celebrated by feasting and gained it all back right away! :)

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:29 am

carma
says:

congrats marketman! =)

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:32 am

Digs
says:

Congratulations MM! at least you’re very close to your target weight.

I know how hard it is really to concentrate on a diet ‘coz we filipinos love food.he,he,he
Enjoy your holidays!

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:41 am

HD
says:

Don’t worry about the 3.6 lbs… Just think, muscle is hevier than fat. :)

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:44 am

wil-b cariaga
says:

173.6. . . . not bad at all MM. . . and you look really fit. . .

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:55 am

elaine
says:

I think you oughta join the Big Loser.. you’ll be the big winner….ha ha! Maybe you can share your diet secret!

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:57 am

wil-b cariaga
says:

and one thing more. . . its almost close to Daniel Craig’s beach photo. . . hehe. . .

Apr 30, 2007 | 6:57 am

eustressor
says:

making all those pounds disappear is such a big thing =) congratulations po!

Apr 30, 2007 | 7:08 am

Traci
says:

congratulations for being “the biggest loser” MM! a trip to the nearest La Perla is in order.. find the Daniel Craig type trunks – times such as these must be celebrated not by bingeing, but by acquiring a new piece for the wardrobe!

Apr 30, 2007 | 7:09 am

Larees
says:

Congratulations MM! Who cares about 3.6lbs anyway? The point is you tried; you were successful in your attempt. Cheers!

3 pounds over your target is not bad at all. It really gets difficult as we get um older. I struggle constantly to achieve my goal of losing 10 more pounds but have failed. Congrats anyway.

Apr 30, 2007 | 8:22 am

bernadette
says:

Congratulations! Enjoying the abundant life and slimming down are really strange bedfellows. So, great achievement! But try taking a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil before every meals. They say one of VCO’s beneficial effects is keeping the body trim.

Apr 30, 2007 | 8:33 am

millet
says:

hot, hot, hot!!! congratulations, MM! now, where is the long holiday and serious eating going to be? you won’t be out of blogsphere, okay?

Heeheehee. This is so self inflating… talk about patting the ego!!! Thanks everyone for those kind comments! I will be heading off on holiday soon but no, I will not leave you all in the lurch… I have tried to leave posts for nearly every day I am gone… and that assumes I don’t even have a chance to post while travelling which I probably will be able to do… so keep up the visits and amuse each other with your comments, I will be checking in, not just as often as I do when I am home…

Apr 30, 2007 | 9:05 am

Lei
says:

3.6 lbs short of 170 lbs is just that, because what is more important is your original weight and how much you have lost through sheer hard work and determination.
Btw, out of post but I got my magazine already, thanks!

Apr 30, 2007 | 9:19 am

Guia
says:

Baka po you meant Mr. Craig/James Bond is a Mesomorph, muscular (instead of an Endomorph, matabain).

way to go! i’m thinking, did you even TRY to lose weight??? i really didn’t notice. seems like since new year, you just ate and ate and ate based on your posts. if and when they do the sequel to ‘the machinist’, christian bale better make sure you are nowhere near a hollywood casting agency. hehehe

Apr 30, 2007 | 9:32 am

MRJP
says:

Oi! How did you do that??? With all of the delicious and gloriously fattening foods you’re featuring on this blog from you kitchen, how were you able to trim down to 173.6lbs??? Keep it up, MM! Congratulations!

Apr 30, 2007 | 9:35 am

blue
says:

for a guy who can’t be kept away from the kitchen, this is helluvah of an achievement! cheers MM!

Guia, thanks for that, I have corrected the post. I am motoring through lots of posts in preparation for a holiday break so I am getting careless…but many thanks for the correction!

Apr 30, 2007 | 9:43 am

edel
says:

congratulations mr. marketman =)
your pic looks like as if you belong to “300” the movie! keep it up

Apr 30, 2007 | 10:04 am

Mila
says:

Bond…. Marketman Bond. Hehehe. Your struggle is a great inspiration MM. Hope you don’t stop the exercise, it’ll be a good long term process. Have a great holiday with Mrs. MM and the Kid!

Apr 30, 2007 | 10:10 am

TOPING
says:

I can empathize, MM; still feeling guilty about missing my exercise routine yesterday. But really, THREE pounds shy of your targeted weight–not bad at all! Have a langka ice candy for me, okay? Hehe…

Apr 30, 2007 | 10:37 am

The Steak Lady
says:

Hey MM, Congrats!! =) Wow, that’s so inspiring. to be a foodie and still lose weight =)

Apr 30, 2007 | 10:48 am

RobKSA
says:

Wow, congrats! and I have noticed it in one of your Coron post and commented how good you look. I have been exercizing lately but because of your foodie posts I can’t seem to lose any weight at all! :(

Apr 30, 2007 | 11:50 am

Crissy
says:

I still commend you for your weight loss & how close you are to your actual goal!

Apr 30, 2007 | 12:30 pm

ryan
says:

Yeah, It’s still a weight loss, revel in small achievements and bigger things will come to pass:)

Well, losing 12 lbs. is already a big achievement. How I wish I can do that (lol).

Apr 30, 2007 | 1:18 pm

rva
says:

congratulations! i wish i could also have those broad shoulders and torso………..

Apr 30, 2007 | 1:47 pm

Bubut
says:

congrats! if you adjust 3 more months to your deadline definitely you will be able to beat that 170 lbs or even less.. Congrats MM and enjoy your vacation !!!

Apr 30, 2007 | 1:52 pm

kaye
says:

wish i can also do the same.. hehehehe!! congrats!!

have a chocolate cake for that!! hahaha!! (bitter!) hehehe!!

Apr 30, 2007 | 2:24 pm

peterb
says:

I’ve been trying to lose at least 5lbs for the longest time with no luck! Forget the 3 pounds, your diet worked! Congrats MM!

I got the Yummmy Mag! Thanks! :)

Apr 30, 2007 | 5:40 pm

Katrina
says:

Considering all the food posts you write and the delicious, rich food you eat, your weight loss is AMAZING! I only read your posts, yet I can’t manage to lose weight at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was a great idea for you to lose weight before going on vacation. At least you have plenty of allowance for all that holiday eating! Have fun, MM, Mrs. MM and the Kid!

MM, maybe it is time to get a personal trainer. he will help you achieve your 170 goal. and now to celebrate your weight loss, let me send you a hot bowl of goto!!!

May 1, 2007 | 9:33 am

Queen B
says:

Losing that amount of weight is not easy, Congratulations for doing it! nice pix by the way :D My husband and I are also trying to lose weight this couple of months and I think it’s working. Not sure about the weight though since he doesn’t want to buy a weighing scale unless he’s sure that he lost some weight :D

Sorry to have missed the James Bond photo since I was out of town, but congratulations on the weight loss! Hope you keep it off during your holdiay. =)

May 1, 2007 | 9:28 pm

filet minion
says:

mm,

i don’t understand why you had to remove the james bond pic. wouldn’t you want to immortalize your [semblance of a] six-pack?!? were you getting too many stalkers or too many hollywood/ regal films offers to play the next bond?

May 1, 2007 | 9:33 pm

Gigi
says:

who cares if you didn’t make the cut, mm? you’re wonderful as you are… :)

May 2, 2007 | 2:24 pm

Mokongbugoy
says:

AAARRRRGGGGHH!!! Missed the post!!! My only glimpse of MM was on Yummy.=( I must say, however, that even with that (very poor) glimpse of you, I could see that you were a far cry from the “molto mario-ish” guy I was expecting you to be (who wouldn’t, considering how you seem to breathe, sleep & LIVE food?!). Wow — providing inspiration to eat well AND get fit?! You must be ready to put up your own religion! X)